Apple updates Final Cut Pro, begins new campaign to bring editors back

Apple has updated its Final Cut Pro X, Motion, and Compressor applications, coinciding with the launch of a new campaign to bring former Final Cut Pro users back to the software. Final Cut Pro X now supports Sony’s XAVC codec up to 4K resolution, along with ProRes Logic C from ARRI ALEXA cameras. There have been a number of other tweaks and fixes. Motion and Compressor have also had numerous bugs fixed.

This update comes as Apple launches a campaign aimed at wooing back professional video editors that may have turned to other software solutions after the initial launch of Final Cut Pro X. The changes made between Final Cut Pro 7 and Final Cut Pro X angered a great number of users, who were unable to do things like edit footage from multiple cameras or import their projects from Final Cut Pro 7. Apple’s competitors in the space, Avid and Adobe, successfully convinced many video editors to switch to their software.

Adobe and Avid reps say they've made big gains in the last two years, while Townhill of Apple says Pro X has become the most downloaded version of the software ever. All three competitors agree that it's hard to find independent, third-party market research to verify any claims

Over the past couple of years, Apple has steadily adding features back into Final Cut Pro X, including the aforementioned multi-camera editing, and they have been able to get some users back. Their new campaign to bring editors back to Final Cut Pro features stories from profession video editors that are well-known within their industry talking about how they benefit from Final Cut Pro X’s features, including its speed.

Reader comments

Apple updates Final Cut Pro, begins new campaign to bring editors back

Well I wish I could say that I use this software. But I don't. I do remember when Apple made the change and at the time it felt like it was being marketed to me in the same way Aperture was marketed to be a step up from iPhoto...this was a step up from iMovie. I was very surprised that Apple would risk losing so many of their core users... Professionals. What a cool job it must be to be able to use this type of software on a daily basis.

They are probably both right -- before I switched to coding, I did Avid editing, and I still know a lot of people in that space. A *lot* of pro/prosumer shops that had been using Final Cut Pro switched (back) to Avid or to Adobe Premiere. At the same token, I know a lot of prosumer/consumer people who were put off by Final Cut Pro's price and/or daunted by its feature set who decided to pick up Final Cut X. Avid/Adobe will tout the former cases, and Apple the latter.

Just a small typo.. "Apple has steadily adding" has steadily *been* adding. Aside from that, I'm a college freshman and I do editing for the on camera acting class at my school. We use the older version Final Cut Pro 7 and just recently did a multicam shoot. I can see how some of these lacking features and bugs would frustrate editors and push them towards other software makers.. I would definitely be excited to try out the newly revamped FCP X though. I've never used it before and really want to see how it differs from 7.

I think it is great that Apple is constantly improving their programs to not only benefit their customers and bring in more money, but to further stimulate competition between competitors. I love it when big companies fight and strain to get the next great thing because in the end, I win.